All Black
by hypheniated
Summary: First he sees her at his father's funeral. Then he starts to see her everywhere. "Hello Gaara. Are you stalking me or something? I happen to see you everywhere." GaaSaku.
1. Ashes

_I know I shouldn't be doing this, but hell to that._

_Prompts: All Black by Good Charlotte. _

All Black

_Chapter one_

He was feeling a sort of a sharp relief.

His father was dead.

His fucking father was _dead._

He was lying there, in the shiny ebony coffin that was tightly sealed, that was being lowered into the packed ground as everybody cried, or was silent.

At least he was buried far away from Mother. She lay in peace at the other end of the cemetery park.

His sweet, beautiful, caring mother.

He loosened his tie a bit. Kankuro shifted a slight beside him.

Temari was his stupid son-of-a-bitch father's favorite. He held nothing against her for that. She was the one that took care of him. He loathed his youngest son, and neglected both him and his older brother.

He was glad, pleased even, that his fucking father was freaking dead.

He was personally rejoicing in his head.

People started to give condolences to his sister, brother, and him.

"I'm so sorry that your father dead. It must be tough for you." A lady said to him.

"Hn." He blinked his charcoal-rimmed eyes.

Temari was hiding her face behind a black lace fan. She hated their father too, because he only favored her. She felt horrible about that, even though he and Kankuro reassured her that they didn't care. Still, she felt guilty.

Kankuro was nodding at the people talking to him. He disliked their father immensely. He was the ignored one. Temari was the favorite, Gaara was the one he threw insults at, and nothing for him. He was basically forgotten, and would have slipped away, run away, if it wasn't for their bond.

Their sibling bond. The one that formed when they were old enough to understand. Understand that their father was a bastard.

They depended on each other for comfort, shelter, and sustenance. Otherwise, Gaara and Kankuro would have run away a long time ago.

Them together, they had silently decided. Decided that they would stay together. Stay together under their father's reign.

He and Kankuro shared a glance. There was a flicker of relief in his brother's brown eyes.

Gaara wondered what Kankuro saw in his own haphazard jade eyes.

Temari kept hiding her face behind her fan. Kankuro went up and snatched his sister's hand down.

He sidled up to her vacant side, and slid his hand into hers. She squeezed both hands tightly.

Her face was dry. She never, ever cried in front of other people, except her brothers.

Then, people started to leave, saying goodbye, and they'll be seeing them at the funeral dinner party.

Gaara hesitantly dropped his head Temari's shoulder. She playfully nudged him away and let go.

He caught a glimpse of something pink. Pink?

He turned his head a slight, and caught a glance of a short bunch of pink hair, bowed down a slight so he couldn't see her eyes, with a body wrapped up in a long black dress. The mop of bowed pink hair lifted up, revealing sharply contrasting pale skin. Naturally red lips were curled into a smile.

She was petite in stature, for sure. He was probably a head taller than she was.

His eyes flicked towards her brow, but he only caught her turning and walking away. He watched her, intrigued, as she made her way to a black limo. The driver hopped out, a man with weird silver hair and an eye patch over an eye, carrying a bright orange book, opened the door for her.

She waved him away, and slid in and shut the door by herself. The black limo left.

The only spots of any real color were his own hair, fiery red and messy, that weird bright orange book, and that pink mop of hair.

He wondered mildly if they, that odd pair, would be coming to the funeral party.

If he had a choice, he'd skip it.

A heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder. His best friend, the loud-mouthed annoying blonde, spoke. "See you later, Gaara." And Naruto ambled to his parents, Minato and Kushina.

They nodded to him, and made their way to their car.

Temari grasped his hand again. "Well, we made it." She whispered faintly, uncharacteristic for his loud sister.

"Yeah." He answered in his soft, harsh voice. He knew he had an odd voice; he was entirely an odd-looking being.

"Yup." Kankuro gave a lop-sided smile. "We made it through all the bullshit."

"You didn't wear your makeup, Puppet-Man." Their blue-eyed sister noted wryly.

"Nah. You think I would be haunted if I kicked his grave?"

"Yes. Dope." Gaara smirked.

"Fine. Ruin all my fun!" The older brother pouted.

Silently, they all looked at each other. Only Temari was bold enough to ask.

"Want to visit Mother?" Her voice trembled a slight.

They both nodded. They all set off for the other end of the cemetery.

In five minutes, they were standing in front of their mother's spot. Temari immediately burst into tears and fell to her knees.

"Oh, Mother!" She tried to stop her tears. "Father is dead!"

There was a slightly relieved, joyful ring to that as it ricocheted off the trees and stones.

Kankuro knelt. "Mother, father is gone forever. You can rest more easily. We won't be hurt by him anymore." His voice shook.

Gaara knelt too. "Mother, our pain is over." He murmured, harshly quiet.

Kankuro and Gaara strained to lift up Temari. "Goodbye, Mother."

And they left in silence.

"Hey, I still want to kick his grave."

"Fuck no."

"Idiot."

**..:****黑****:..**

He was leaning against the wall, watching everybody mingle. At least everybody wasn't dressed in black. He was comfortably wearing a red t-shirt and jeans.

He rubbed his forehead, slightly tracing his tattoo.

He scanned the room for his brother and sister. He saw Temari first.

She was talking to her boyfriend, Shino. Nearby, Kankuro was eating something that resembled something disgustingly green and brown- and was that purple?

He stared around the room again, and a shock of vividness caught his eye. He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the curious blob of pink.

He wandered over to her table, where she was seated. He sat down unasked, straight across from the peculiarly rose-haired female.

Her head was turned; he still didn't see her face completely. His jade-eyed stare fell down to her clothing.

She was wearing the probable same dress she came to the funeral in. She finally turned her head to face him. Her eyes were looking down demurely.

"Yes?" She asked mildly. Her voice had a musical ring to it. "What do you want?" She lifted a lace-gloved hand from her lap to grasp the cup in front of her.

From what he could smell, it smelled like coffee. Black coffee, to be exact. The same stuff he had every morning.

She had a small nose, high cheekbones. No bangs covered her forehead; rather a black bow adorned her hair, clipped on her right side. She had pouty, full red lips, and a graceful neck. Dark eyelashes framed eyes that still looked down.

"I saw you at the funeral." It wasn't a question from him.

"Oh? I was invited. I never miss a funeral." It wasn't an explanation from her.

She finally glanced up, and held his steely gaze with a strange radiance.

Her beautiful eyes were bright emerald green.

"You are the son of the one in the coffin, right? Naruto told me. Or rather, the second son, third child." She spun the spoon to her coffee in her elongated fingers.

"Naruto's my best friend." Those words rolled oddly in his mouth. "My first friend."

He didn't know why he just told her that.

"As he is mine. Same predicament." She blinked those huge clear emerald eyes.

He didn't stop staring into her eyes. Her eyes were a complete different story, it made him feel…_awakened._

She took a sip of her coffee. "Haruno Sakura."

"Sabaku No Gaara." His eyes didn't move an inch.

"It's rude to stare, but I do it all the time, I doubt I personally care that much, Gaara." Her green orbs sparkled with laughter.

"Hn." His gaze dropped her lace-covered hands.

"Man of few words, aren't you? You have an interesting tattoo. Oh!" She turned her head quickly.

He looked up, and saw that weirdly eye patched silver-haired man. Up close, he was wearing a mask that covered half his face.

"Is it really time to go, Kakashi?" She inquired.

"Yes. Come, Sakura." He turned and left.

"It was lovely meeting you, Gaara. I hope to see you again." She gave him a smile. "Bye."

"Bye." His word was flat.

"What's my name, Gaara?" She asked suddenly.

That question took him off guard. "Haruno Sakura."

"Then say goodbye to me, not to the general public." She gestured for him to say something.

"Goodbye, Sakura." And she disappeared through the crowd, leaving him at the table with a cup of coffee and an intrigued red-haired jade-eyed boy.

**..:****黑****:..**

_I sat down at her table_

_At the end of the night_

_She was having black coffee and a cigarette_

_She wasn't wearing white_

**..:****黑****:..**

_So, what did you think of it?_

_Review please! Ten reviews?_

_I like long reviews._

_Love,_

_pureazure_


	2. Chanteuse

All Black

_Chapter two_

How the heck did this happen?

Gaara was sitting with Temari and Kankuro, and a man from his father's company that they had known since they were little.

No, it couldn't be happening.

"We need a successor to your deceased father's company." Baki had said. It was accordingly after the funeral party, well past midnight, clock hands edging towards one.

Temari had immediately backed out, claiming that she couldn't and wouldn't be able to do it.

Baki agreed.

She was the Aburame's girlfriend, and that might not bode well at all. He was already named heir to his parent's company. He was going to be successor soon enough. His father was retiring sometime in a possible five years, maybe sooner.

Sure, Aburame Corps were friendly with Subaku Corps, but it was already being considered that Temari may possibly marry Shino, which will end as a union between them. They didn't need two successors to marry since they were already practically joined together.

Gaara didn't doubt that his golden blonde sister loved Shino, and he loved her. It would probably end perfectly. The companies would be satisfied, and Shino and his sister would be happy.

He was sincerely happy about that.

So, Kankuro was offered it.

He thought his brother would actually accept it.

_Gaara actually__ thought__ Kankuro would take it._

But no, his brother backed out. He said he wasn't interested, and plus, it was a probably boring job. He preferred going out, having his days free, living off the fortune, and not having to do anything for the rest of his life.

Baki agreed also. He knew that Kankuro was a lazy ass, and preferred to waste his time and money on girls and fancy cars. There wasn't a point. Kankuro would let the entire company run down.

That left Gaara.

He didn't expect it. He didn't even agree to it. But it was placed on his shoulders. More like dumped, to be exact. No one really wanted it that bad.

He was the new successor to Subaku Corps.

And supposedly, there was going to be a hell of a dinner party, and the invitees were all the other heads of associated Corps with his new job. To meet him, or something.

He was only fucking seventeen. Seventeen, and becoming the new boss of his dead father's company.

He was now sitting on the roof of their house, the house they still shared. His siblings didn't even consider moving out.

It wasn't possible. They didn't want to. It just wasn't an option.

He was sitting on the warm, brick red roof, sprawled on his back with his arms tucked neatly under his head. He was contemplating the whole situation. The sun was rising, the sky in shades of orange and yellow, along with dissipating heavy dark blue.

It was genuinely ironic. The son that his father hated so much was heading up his company. He was probably turning in his grave now.

The comical thought of his stupid father's face, blown up and bright red from anger that the son he thought was the worst, becoming the boss of his company at age seventeen because his brainless first son and his firstborn daughter didn't accept the role, was deliciously satisfying.

He bet that the bastard expected Temari to take the job, but in-advertly forgot her relationship with Shino.

His thoughts drifted to the party tonight, a several hours from now. Certainly Shino was going to be there. The invitation stretched to immediate family of the head of the Corps, and to its heirs. Temari was sure to be delighted.

Kankuro too, probably. Most of them were sure to bring their daughters. Their sons too. They wanted a stronger connection to all the other companies, to ensure company relationships.

Of course, forced marriage was avoided- definitely not an option. That would cause a scandal. All of them skirted scandal. It would cause a ruckus, and headlines. They only hoped that their children would choose well enough.

He lay on the roof a few minutes longer, watching the dark blue make way for the yellows and the steadily growing sky-blue hues.

Crawling down the roof, and landing softly on his jutted windowsill, he fell onto his bed.

Gaara checked the clock. 5:03. He closed his eyes, and paved a way to his semi-unconscious sleep-like state. He never slept properly, only for two or three hours at a time. He had insomnia. He preferred to lie on the cold roof until his physical exhaustion called for him to try for rest.

**..:****黑****:..**

He was dragged, he swears.

Temari had wanted to go shopping, at _fucking nine fucking a.m. in the fucking morning._

She was insane.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't sleeping. But he still hated to be 'woken up' from the semi-conscious state he basically 'slept' in.

He barely had time to wash his face, and put on some clean clothes before Hurricane Temari swept through as he was buckling his belt, and shoved them into the car.

Kankuro was carefully yawning widely.

Himself, he was glaring at Temari, sitting right beside him, humming something senseless. She was definitely an early riser. She was all bright and sunny.

He tucked an arm behind his head, and rested against the mirrored glass of the window.

"Why did you drag us out so early, Temari?" Kankuro asked.

"Because I have nothing to wear for the meeting party tonight. Neither do you two idiots, for that matter. You can't just wear your threadbare crap." She bounced up and down.

"Whatever." Gaara resumed staring out the window until the car screeched into a parking spot.

"Miss Temari, do give us a call when you want us to come back to pick you up." The driver spoke softly.

"Ok, thank you!" And she dragged her two brothers out, and closed the doors.

The trio walked towards the mall.

"Temari, I'm going to grab something to drink. Where will you be?" Gaara edged towards his left, smelling the rich smell of coffee.

"I don't know. Just go get your coffee. Heaven knows you get easier to deal with when you drink some." She made 'shooing' motions. "Go, baby brother!"

Kankuro was eying some pretty girls, who were standing off on the side, whispering and shooting him looks. He gave a playful grin to them before his arm was violently pulled by his blonde sister.

"Come on, brother, move your ass and stop staring at pretty girls!" She yanked him towards the nearest formal-ish clothing store.

Gaara bought a tall cup of black coffee, and wandered over to one of those situated tables. He leaned lazily, tipping the chair dangerously, while languorously sipping his drink.

He could feel their stares, boys and girls, old and young. All he was wearing was a black tank top, and a deep blood red button-up long sleeve t-shirt, and dark jeans. He had a black cord around his neck with his mother's ring on it.

He didn't know he looked the epitome of hotness; all the staring was admiration, attraction and jealousy.

He closed his eyes, breathing in the scent, it wasn't the best coffee in the world, but it 'woke' him up. He took another burning sip.

A scratchy, screeching sound of a chair being pulled out caused him to open his eyes and to glare around at the source of the sound.

Of course, he didn't expect it to be at his table. He blinked. It was Haruno Sakura.

She was holding an identical cup of coffee in her hand, but that wasn't what caught his eye.

Wearing a black, unreadable form-fitting t-shirt, tight black skinny jeans, and knee-high lace-up boots. Two short pink braids styled into her hair. A strip of black lace, adorned with a tiny, tear shaped chunk of silver and a red jewel was upon her neck. Carrying a black messenger bag that banged against her thigh.

Nothing but two bands of gold, and an enormous silver diamond ring decorated her hands. In her ears hung onyx chandelier earrings. A pair of green and black headphones were settled on her neck.

"Hello, Gaara." She spoke laughingly. "Fancy meeting you here. You don't really seem to be the type to be hanging out in the mall." She settled down in her seat.

"Hn." He made all his chair's legs land on the ground with a screechy thump. "Why were you at the funeral?"

She licked her naturally red lips, and rolled her emerald eyes. "Nice way to say hello. I told you yesterday, I was invited. I never miss a funeral if I'm invited."

He raised an eyebrow. She was strange. "You never miss one?"

"Never." She curled her lips into a smile as she took a sip.

"Why?" He was curious.

She looked away. "No reason you should know." She looked back at him, fixing him with her heavy stare. "Why are you asking me?"

She didn't sound offended in the least, she sounded amused.

He didn't reply.

She blinked those huge emerald eyes. "You have an interesting eye colour."

"As do you." He blinked his own charcoal rimmed jade eyes.

She cocked her head, still watching him. "You like the same coffee as I do. Black, sugarless, no cream, am I right?"

He watched her guardedly. "Hn."

"Talk normally. Answer normally." She demanded in a biting, irate tone. "Answer my question properly."

Her cutting words seared Gaara's mind sharply. It woke him up more than the bad coffee did.

"Yeah. I do." He said it surprisingly calmly.

Her heart-shaped face relaxed. "Thank you for your proper answer." She gave a winning smile.

They took a couple sips of their coffees in silence.

She looked at the clock situated in the middle of the mall. She stood up. "I'm going to be late, and Kakashi's going to be mad at me again." She cocked her head at him. "I hope to see you again."

"Hn."

She frowned again. Her forehead creased. "That's really annoying." She scoffed. She smiled. "See you_ later_, Gaara."

Strangely, she emphasized on the _later. _

Gaara wondered what she meant by that. "Goodbye….Sakura." He remembered just in time to add her name.

She steadily walked away, coffee aloft.

His eyes unwillingly followed her figure curiously until it disappeared into a store, her bag bouncing as she walked.

..She was definitely strange. His mind burned with curiosity.

He wanted answers. He was so damn intrigued because of this strange female.

What was that all about?

**..:****黑****:..**

He was buttoning the crisp red shirt over the aforementioned black tank top. He glanced in the mirror, not in a vain way, to make sure he looked ok.

He looked the same as always. The shirt may have looked new, felt new, smelled new, but it felt the same. It definitely looked the same on him.

Wearing freshly-self-ironed black pants, worn low on his hips, slightly baggy, fastened with a stiff new leather belt with a black buckle. Shirt was carelessly untucked, along with a loosely clinched black tie.

He swept his red hair out of his face, showing a hint of the brighter red ink across his forehead.

Gaara turned slowly. He looked himself over. His mother's ring lay in directly below the dent in his collarbone, a mere two centimeters away.

He looked down at his shoes. They were not new, rather old. They were plain, and badly scuffed. He didn't bother for shoes, and Temari didn't bother him, or probably forgot about his shoes.

A figure appeared in the mirror behind him.

Kankuro stood, his elbows draped over his younger brother's shoulders. He wasn't wearing anything on his face.

"You're going to scare all the girls away with your eyes." He observed.

Gaara stared at himself in the mirror, specifically, his eyes.

They were the same jaded green. They had the normal charcoal rims that always were perfectly formed around his eyes.

His eyes weren't making any statement. They looked in to the mirror in a flat, lifeless stare. His eyes seemed dead.

"I don't care. I'm not on the lookout for girls, unlike you." He watched his brother with a hawk-like fixation.

"Whatever." He removed himself from him. He was wearing a sort of suit. A black blazer, white shirt, and black pants. Classic black-tie formal stuff.

Temari waltzed into the room. Donning a light, floaty, sky-blue and periwinkle strapless dress that ended at her knees, she went over to her brothers. A deep-purple wrap was carelessly tossed on her shoulders. She had a pair of lace up metallic silver sandals on.

"Oh, you two look handsome!" She warbled. She spun Kankuro around, and fixed his collar in a sisterly way. Her cheeks were flushed of its own accord; no makeup could ever hide the natural glow on her cheeks.

Especially you, Gaara." She said happily. She spun him around, and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt.

"Hey, what about me?" Kankuro whined.

"You look much better without the purple makeup." She retorted. Kankuro frowned.

"Whatever." He glanced at the clock. "We better get going."

They stepped out the door, and into their car. They sat snugly in the back, Kankuro on the left, Gaara on the right, and Temari in the middle.

"So who's attending, Temari? You know?" Kankuro asked.

"Not really. I know the Aburames are attending, as are the Hyugas. That's all." Temari toyed with a dangling chandelier diamond earring.

Both Gaara and Kankuro remembered the Hyugas. They were a family they had met in the past. The entire family had white eyes. They weren't scared of them, unlike some families.

Hyuga Neji had explained to them it was a dominant gene, a mutation, passed through the generations of the Hyugas. It remained unchanged, even as it traveled down the generations.

A twelve year old Kankuro had asked, a ten year old Gaara in tow, long ago, at a party, so an eleven year old Neji had answered him.

Those two families, the Aburames and the Hyugas, were the only ones that Gaara could remember clearly. Subaku Corps were friendly to both, the Hyugas and Aburames to each other and Subaku Corps, as they attended the same functions most of the time.

Gaara watched the scenery fly by. When the car stopped, he readjusted himself, turning away from the window, sinking into the warm black leather of the Cadillac.

He closed his eyes.

Then the car stopped, and Temari poked him in the shoulder.

"Open the door, and get out!" She uttered nervously. She carefully touched her hair, worried that it was mussed.

He climbed out, followed by his sister, and his brother.

Temari was extremely jittery. Gaara slipped his hand into hers, and Kankuro did the same. That instantly reassured her, and she calmed down.

"Temari, you look fine." Kankuro soothed. "Absolutely gorgeous."

Gaara dropped his head on her shoulder. "You look beautiful, Temari." He said softly.

"Thanks, little brother, baby brother." She took a deep breath. She clenched her hands, squeezing theirs tightly, and walked steadily up the door.

She dropped their hands, and pulled out a rich peacock feather fan, and began to absently open and close it with sharp flicks of her wrist. They clambered up the long, grand staircase.

They reached the door, where there was a man standing there. He spoke gruffly. "You here for the party?"

"Yes." Kankuro answered.

"Who are you?" He looked at them calculatingly.

"Subaku No Gaara, Sabaku No Temari, Sabaku No Kankuro." Gaara said carefully.

"Welcome." The man drew his hand aside, gesturing for them to go through the door. They thanked him, and slipped though.

Kankuro practically dragged Temari, while Gaara walked ahead of them. They wandered down the long hall, noting the bathrooms, and various extra rooms. Gaara took special note of the balcony doorways.

He shoved through the heavy oak double doors, not bothering to use the shiny brass handles embellished with pearls of silver and strips of gold.

The trio walked into a room with mingling various adults, teens, and children. Everybody was in fine, formal dress. The ladies were all in pastel-y, pale shades or deep, rich colour. The little girls were in cute, miniature, non-revealing clothing. The teenagers were another issue on their own. The girls wore varying shades of colour, in racier versions of the children and the adult women's clothing.

The men, little boys, teenager boys, they all looked basically the same. Shades of white, black, and blue wandered around the room.

There were relatively small tables, housing about six people each. There were nametags beside every setting, so everybody was sitting in different places. Couples, families and children were separated. Of course, they make absolutely sure that teenagers were placed with teenagers, adults were placed with adults, and children with children accordingly.

Temari broke away, spotting Shino by his father. She walked over, her back straight, a beautiful smile upon her face.

Kankuro spotted a gorgeous pair of twins in sparkly blue dresses, and inadvertly wandered over, obviously to introduce himself to them.

That left Gaara all alone.

He decided to go find his table; it was slightly embarrassing to be the last person to wander around, trying to find their designated seat. He preferred to avoid that shame.

Naruto waved at him, and he nodded back. His blonde best friend was with his parents, talking to Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hinata, who was blushing scarlet because she was next to Naruto. She gave him a wave also.

So he made his way around the tables, looking for his name. He could feel several stares at him; he could hear high-pitched girlish giggling. He ignored it, and continued to look.

He reached his third table in his search when he was greeted by Hyuga Neji.

"Hey." Neji was wearing a white shirt, and dark beige pants. He looked good, and several girls were looking enviously at his shiny long hair.

"Hey." Gaara turned slowly. "Long time no see."

"Same as ever, Gaara. Looking for your name?" Neji nodded his approval, blinking his eyes.

"You are too."

"I think I saw yours somewhere. Towards the general direction of that annoyingly loud Yamanka girl." Neji grimaced.

Gaara grimaced too. He disliked sitting next to her because when he was seven, he sat next to her, and she kept bugging him because he was using the wrong fork, which he wasn't. She was. "Was she sitting there?"

"No, you're in luck. But Nara, feel bad for him." He shook his head. "See you later at the gathering."

He was referring to the gathering at the end, where the formal dinner part ends, and the part where everybody goes into one room and basically hangs out. Separately, of course.

"See you later." Gaara continued his search.

He passed by Hyuga Hanabi, who nodded at him, and Aburame Annika and Aburame Ayaka, who smiled at him. He remembered distinctively that Annika and Ayaka were Shino's younger twin sisters and Hanabi was Neji's cousin.

He finally found his seat. It was located off on the east side, towards a rather large window. He was sitting with his back to the window.

He made it just in time too. A clock struck seven o'clock, the exact time the dinner segment was supposed to start.

He yanked out his chair and sat down. Other people began to file into their seats. A few teenagers were scrambling around, trying to find their seats. A Hyuga girl, he guessed it was Hyuga Hinata, walked up to the podium at the front of the enormous room.

Gaara closed his eyes.

She spoke softly. "Welcome. May the dinner commence." And she went towards her seat.

Almost instantaneously, a dozen waiters each streamed out the doors, carrying platters of appetizers. They were set down in front of everyone, and people began to eat and chat.

The red-haired boy opened his eyes lazily, and began to survey all of his seating mates. On his right was Aburame Annika. After her was Inuzuka Kiba. Uyemoto Karin. Uchiha Sasuke.

_Haruno Sakura._

He blinked and shook his head violently.

Sakura was sitting next to him.

**..:****黑****:..**

_Like the night that we met, all black_

_Like the colour of your dress, all black_

_Like the seats in my Cadillac_

**..:****黑****:..**

_First, chapter was beta-ed by oxsilvermoonxo aka Lya, who is totally awesome and is really sweet about suggestions and corrections. HI IF YOU'RE READING THIS, LYA! HI!! Lol_

_And yes, she's beta-ing this all the way._

_So, what did you think of it? This chapter sort of tumbled out. It's double the amount of pages I wrote last time._

_P.S. I like long reviews. _

_Thank you for such an awesome response to this!_

_Love,_

_pureazure_

_BETA note:_

_Hey guys. Its oxsilvermoonxo. the beta. :D_

_This is a really fun story. I like reading it before anyone else. (HAHA. SUCKERS.) (__I am TOTALLY just kidding. Don't kill me! ). Except for some grammar issues and overuse of hyphens (stares pointedly at pureazure) I didn't really need to change anything. So you should review and make us feel speshal! :P _

_This is my last contribution to this chapter of All Black-_

…

_Haha. Neji is hot.XD (lol)_


	3. Surrender

All Black

_Chapter three_

She wasn't paying any attention to him. Rather, she was staring off in the distance.

He sort of doubted that she even noticed he was sitting here.

Her chin was delicately resting on her clasped knuckles. Her elbows were on the table.

Her pouty-red lips were slightly ajar. Her huge emerald eyes were unblinking as she stared.

When a waiter nudged her arm gently for her to remove her elbow, did she snap out of her reverie.

She smiled graciously before accepting the plate of a tiny tantalizing appetizer.

The same waiter put a plate in front of him with a near-inaudible clunk. Gaara turned and nodded at him before turning back to his plate.

With a sigh, he picked up his fork and monotonously began to eat.

Not even ten seconds into eating, Uyemoto Karin started to talk. Rather, to flirt.

"I'm Uyemoto Karin. Who are you, handsome?" She batted her eyelashes at Gaara.

He felt disgusted. That girl was wearing something that resembled strategically-placed dark blue ribbon to cover her fluffy bits.

"You know, we can read. Your name card is facing everybody in this table, and I'm pretty sure you can see all of ours." A musically mocking voice snapped. "Unless you can't read, of course, Miss Prada-Glasses."

Sakura was smirking at the now-seething apple-red haired female. She continued on in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Of course, if you can't read, I'm happy to give you help. This is-" She glanced at his name card.

He could practically see the shock of recognition and the startled expression take over the rose-haired female. She composed herself within the fraction of the second.

He was pretty sure no one but him caught her startled expression.

"This is Subaku No Gaara." She managed to say sweetly. "I'm Haruno Sakura. Anyone else you would like me to introduce to you?"

A flickering fake smile was plastered on her face, but Gaara could tell that she was having a little too much fun mocking Karin.

"No thank you." Karin bit back. She turned back to her plate, angrily stabbing at the shrimp there.

Sakura smiled triumphantly. She daintily picked up her own fork and began to eat as well.

Gaara tossed down his fork. He ate fast. He intently began to watch Sakura.

He watched her carefully prop a piece of shrimp by her red lips before parting them invitingly, only to stick the fork in. Her teeth grasped the shiny silver fork, and she slowly pulled it out, the morsel of pink shrimp missing, and repeating the process.

As he watched unabashedly, he noticed the dark Uchiha next to her stare at her as well. He was subtle, and nobody noticed him looking at the blossom, as his bangs fell forward, concealing his ogling onyx eyes from view.

But Gaara could tell. He spent countless hours studying people, their posture, the way they placed themselves. He could gauge the persona of any person if he studied them for even if it was only a single second.

As long as he had a moment of undivided attention, he could tell easily.

His head was inclined towards Sakura only a fraction. His body was turned a slight, only just opening himself up a little to her. The only thing that made him unsuspicious to other people was his elbows on the table leisurely, his clasped hands in the air, his body facing mainly forward.

He was so very unlike Gaara in the way they watched Sakura.

Gaara, on the other hand, didn't have long-ish hair to hide his staring behind. He was almost completely turned towards Sakura. His elbow on the table, his hand supporting his head, turned towards the left of him, where the strangely intriguing girl sat. His eyes were solely focused on her. Anybody could tell he was watching her.

His body language was completely attuned towards her. He was so obviously blatantly staring at her, burning holes into her petite figure.

He began to study her clothes. She was wearing a knee-length black dress that had layers of carmine tulle underneath, making it poof out. There was a crisscrossing of shiny black ribbon in the back, making the bodice look like a corset.

The jewelry from earlier that day was still adorning her. A deeply crimson rose pin clipped back her candy-pink hair.

Finally, the plates were taken away, only to be replaced with main dishes. Steaming plates of various favorite foods were placed in front of people.

At once, after the waiters and waitresses disappeared through the double doors, the steady stream of quiet idle chatter erupted into boisterous noise of many voices. A few mothers got up and went to check their children, and a couple teens got up to see and exchange a few words with others sitting at other tables.

Gaara's table was one of the quieter tables. At first.

Then Aburame Annika and Inuzuka Kiba started to bicker and throw insults at each other. Apparently, Kiba had stepped on Annika's foot.

And Uyemoto Karin decided to try and cuddle up to Uchiha Sasuke, flirting with all her worth.

And Sakura finally decided to talk.

"Hello Gaara." Again, her voice was laced with laughter.

"Sakura." He only answered because it was required to her.

"Why are you here?" Straight down to the point, no beating behind the bush. He didn't waste time.

"Why? Should I not be here?" She gave him a half-smile.

"Don't avoid my question."

She wasn't even fazed by his harsh, demanding tone and his glare.

"I am the heiress and the current head of Haruno Corps. Why shouldn't I be here?" She cocked her head at him, grinning in amusement at his gaping expression.

She carried on. "And you are the point of this party. For all the heads of the other Corps to meet you because you are the new head of Subaku Corps. And probably try and marry you off to one of their daughters around here."

He was surprised, to say. So she was part of the world that he was born in.

He finally found his voice. "Then try and claim Subaku Corps as a sub-ordinate, and make me a puppet."

"Like that's going to happen." She scoffed. "You are the type to hold your power and possessions and never let go."

He raised a non-existent eyebrow at this, but before he could make a comment, an interruption decided to make its presence known.

"Sakura! Gaara!" And they saw an orange and black garbed Naruto practically fly over to him.

"Naruto." Sakura smiled.

"Naruto." Gaara gruffly said.

He pushed Gaara's body a little forward so he could sit on his chair. He looked at Sakura disapprovingly.

"Sakura-chan, you shouldn't always wear black."

"Naruto, you know I have my reasons. By the way, you look nice. For once."

Gaara agreed. "Yeah. For once."

The blond pretended to look wounded. "You guys are mean!"

"I saw you around Hinata-chan, what's up with that?" Sakura turned and looked at him.

"Uh…nothing…." His smile was sheepish. "Our parents were talking, that's all."

"If you say so, Naruto." She gave him a disbelieving look. "Then how come your seat was placed next to Hinata? Last time I remembered, your seat was across the table."

"Uh…." The blond didn't have an answer to that. He was the one to switch his name card with Shino, which conveniently, ended up next to Temari.

"Go eat, Naruto." Gaara spoke somewhat coldly. Naruto seemed unaffected by his tone, but left all the same.

"I'll bet we will be attending a wedding sometime." She delicately placed a forkful of pasta into her mouth.

He shifted back into the entirety of his seat. He didn't answer, rather he watched her eat.

"You know, that's sort of annoying." She stopped, and stared at him back.

"I know."

"Do you have a mother?" She asked.

That put him off guard.

"I did." He muttered stiffly.

She didn't look too sympathetic. She seemed to understand that he didn't want to talk. "Oh. Sorry. I have no parents either. Kakashi's my guardian."

She stroked her cheek, staring off into space, when suddenly, people started to shift and move in their seats all around them, breaking their contact.

Everybody stood up, and moved towards the grand double doors into the presumably, the socializing rooms.

Gaara hated this. There were a couple of those rabid girls that always stared hungrily at him and others.

He lost Sakura in the wave of people going towards the exit. Kiba and Annika remained by him, while Sasuke had disappeared also.

When the three finally reached the teenager room, they dispersed.

Gaara unconsciously looked around for the halo of pink hair or the swish of a black and red dress.

When he didn't see anything of the like, he sought out Neji.

When his eyes finally fell on the long-haired male, he was seemingly-intently listening to a girl with two buns on her head babble on and on. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and tolerating the girl's presence.

He had already spotted Naruto, Kankuro, and Temari. All were busy.

He went out one of the doors that he knew lead to one of the many balconies.

He heard a now-very familiar feminine voice.

"Stop pushing it. I don't like you."

There was an icy, hoarse male tone to match.

"Give me a chance."

The red-haired boy took several steps forward.

There was Sakura, looking furious, illuminated by the moonlight shining upon her.

There was that disgusting Uchiha, sulking almost invisibly in the shadows.

"No. You've been cruel to me for the entirety of the time I've known you. Go out with Miss Prada-Glasses, I hear her calling for you. She obviously wants you."

"_But Sakura," _He drawled, flicking his eyes towards her.

She visibly cringed and glared.

"_She's no fun."_

He drew out each word slowly, as if he was savoring every word he said.

"You sick bastard. Get away from her."

Startled, Sasuke turned towards the voice.

Gaara surprised himself by saying so.

Sakura used the moment that Sasuke's sickening attention left her and she punched him in the cheek.

His head snapped to the right with the recoil of the hit and he stumbled backwards with the force of impact.

"You disgusting, pathetic, slimy, pedophilic _boy. _You think you can lay a hand on me?" Sakura spat. "You think, after all these years you've hurt me, you think I'd even _like _you? I hate you!"

She turned her heel, and walked proudly away, her shoulders slightly shaking.

After a glance at the Uchiha, Gaara followed her.

She had crossed the roomful of chatting, happy teens into the balcony on the other side. She threw the doors violently open, and skimmed outside.

She dropped to her knees, shaking uncontrollably. He silently glided over to her.

At first look, he thought she was crying.

"Sakura."

She looked up at him. He expected a tear-stained face.

Instead, he was met with a laughing one.

"Gaara." She calmed down, and invited him to sit with her.

Immediately, she started talking.

"I hate Uchiha Sasuke. He made fun of my parents." She twisted a ruffle of her dress.

She took a deep breath. "He made fun of how I always wear black."

"Why do you wear black?" He asked, albeit innocently enough.

She didn't answer for a minute, only staring off into the distance blankly, before snapping back into focus.

"Because I like it. People called me weird because of that. It's pretty. It reminds me of nighttime. It's comfortable to me. It loves me like my parents did." She paused. "I've never worn any other color since I was I was four."

They were silent.

Thoughts were racing dizzily in Gaara's head until Sakura dropped her head onto his shoulder.

It was like an electric shock, and he focused on one thing he was determined to do.

_To get Sakura out of her black._

Her warm breath fanned his neck, send tingles down his spine. He shivered, jostling her slightly.

Her long eyelashes weren't folded together; she wasn't sleeping.

His heart skipped a beat when he decided to do what he was thinking of doing.

He turned his head to the left, where Sakura's pink head was resting on his shoulder. He swallowed noisily, causing Sakura to curiously tilt her head up.

He gulped again. He slipped two fingers under her chin, and gently tilted her chin up and kissed her softly, his jade eyes squeezing shut.

Emerald eyes, once half-lidded in tiredness, shot open with the force of a bullet in shock.

**..:****黑****:..**

_I think I found the one for me_

**..:****黑****:..**

_I actually intended that line for much, much later….but then I added something I didn't expect._

_I need help! My current summary is crap. Anyone who can give me a new one, I'll write something for them in exchange, in a pairing of their choice, as long as it's not yaoi.  
_

_Review?_

_pureazure_


	4. Dinner

_So, so overdue._

All Black

_Chapter four_

Sakura stared in shock at him, her pupils traveling all over his face.

His face was nervous, she could tell.

She timidly started to kiss back, shutting her eyes softly.

He was gentle, and they stayed at lip-to-lip-only contact.

They finally broke apart, drinking in the sweet night air, a delicate flower scent tickling their noses.

Neither of them said a word.

Only until Sakura glanced up in the murky cloudy sky, was the silence broken.

"It's about nine. Five minutes until the next part of the party begins."

She stood up, and brushed off her dress roughly, and scurried back into the room.

Only then did Gaara stand up and follow her into the teenagers' room.

**..:****黑****:..**

Since the teenagers' room was the biggest, all the adults and little children came in.

It was time for the _real _purpose.

Gaara leaned awkwardly by the tall glass window.

He spotted a bruised Uchiha, being fawned and worried over by his mother.

He snorted. Uchiha Sasuke was a sissy.

He could not see Sakura anywhere. She had dissipated into the overwhelmingly noisy crowd.

Gaara accepted the flute of sparkling water from the waiter, and sipped it as he searched for a glimpse of familiar people.

"You are Subaku No Gaara, am I correct?"

Sakura's guardian stood in front of Gaara, surprising him.

His lone eye was crinkled in a smile, the other covered by an eye patch.

"Yes, I am." He didn't make a move.

"Nice to meet you, Gaara. I'm Hatake Kakashi."

"Right. What do you want?" the redhead took another sip of the fizzy water.

"I'm rather curious. You made Sakura rather….distressed." There was no malice or anger in his voice; more like amusement.

"I did?" A tiny seed of worry sprouted in the new heir's mind.

The grey-haired man did not miss the flash of worry in the cold jade eyes.

"She's asked to go home, you see. So I let her." The look Kakashi gave the boy was piercing; it was as if he saw everything, from the encounter in the mall to the little disagreement with Sasuke.

"Well…I kissed her." The stare Gaara gave back was challenging, as if daring the older man to argue with him about it.

"She has no parents, you know. I raised her for fifteen years." Kakashi looked away. "Poor kid had to put up with my bad parenting and cooking skills." His eye once again crinkled in a smile.

"Why are you telling me this?" Gaara watched the older man's mannerisms and listened to his tone of speech. He wasn't lying.

"You tell me why I'm telling you." He winked his lone eye. "And I wish to cut a deal with your company."

"Don't talk to me, talk to Baki or someone else. I know nothing." Gaara snapped.

"I'd like to have a meeting tomorrow, then. Since I do know you're going to be there tomorrow. Goodbye, Gaara."

Kakashi strode off, angling towards the exit.

Kankuro sidled up. "Hey, Gaara. Want to go home?"

"Yeah." Charcoal rims met as the redhead closed his eyes. "I'm tired."

"Okay. We'll just drag Temari away from Shino and leave." The brothers dispersed intent on finding their lovesick sister.

**..:****黑****:..**

Next morning, the abnormally loud doorbell to the Subaku mansion rang hollowly throughout the entire house.

Temari stepped out of her bedroom to answer it.

She tossed the door carelessly open.

"Good morning, Temari."

"Good morning to you too, Baki."

The man stepped in. "Where's Gaara?"

"In his room, sleeping. Why?" Temari rubbed her eyes, and ran a hand through her messy hair.

"He's going over to Subaku Corps today."

She yawned widely. "I'll get him for you."

She scuffed her way down the red-carpeted floors towards the blank white door that was Gaara's.

She opened it gently, and peeked in.

Her youngest brother was laying there, arm thrown over his eyes, a thin red sheet twisted and wound around his half-naked muscular body.

She sighed, and tightened the sash on her robe. "Baby brother, baby brother, Baki's to take to you to the office today."

The boy groaned. "Temari." He rasped, and removed the arm from his face, showing thin, bloodless lips and sleep-darkened green eyes. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to get up. I'll make some coffee for you."

He fell out of bed at the word 'coffee'.

She closed the door to give him some privacy, satisfied he was awake.

"Kankuro better not have some porn magazine on his face when I go and wake him up…"

**..:****黑****:..**

Gaara came out of his room ten minutes later, fully clothed and still steaming from his shower. He blinked, and made his way down to the kitchen, where his sharp nose caught the heavenly smell of rich, black coffee.

"Good morning, Baki." He greeted the man.

"Good morning, Gaara. Ready to go?"

He didn't answer. He poured himself a mug of coffee and sipped it slowly, savoring the taste.

When he finally finished the entire cup, he lazily turned to Baki.

"I'm ready to go."

**..:****黑****:..**

One and a half hours later, Gaara decided he rather greatly disliked his job immensely.

It was stupid! All he did was listen to shit about problems he didn't care about, sign papers with the tiniest print imaginable and have people periodically barge into his huge office.

He was half-heartedly listening to some janitor list on and on about an incessant leak in the tenth-floor bathrooms, when Kakashi walked in, gently tugging on a black clad figure with pink hair with him.

"You are dismissed. I have to talk to Kakashi." He waved the janitor away.

Sakura scowled at him, and stopped the janitor from leaving. "Here, I'll listen to your problem, and I'll bring it up to Gaara." She offered. The janitor agreed and began to pour out his problems yet again.

Kakashi nodded at her, glad she found something to keep her busy while he talked to Gaara and Baki, who was standing by the redhead's ebony wood desk.

"Hello Kakashi. I do recall you mentioning something you wanted to talk about with us…?" Baki asked, letting the question hang between them heavily.

Kakashi looked around, his eye darting back and forth around the wide, spacious office. "Is this completely secure?"

"Yes. I'm sure of it."

"Good. Now, you do know that Subaku and Haruno Corps have never exactly associated with each other much before, besides the parties and connection only as group projects? You know, actually made as allies, like you and the Hyuga are well close to each other, as I am with the Yamanka?"

Gaara nodded. He knew this; all the children of the web of 'elite families' companies knew.

The gray-haired man continued on, acknowledging the understanding looks Gaara and Baki gave.

"Well, I wish to establish the same with Subaku Corps."

"And how?" Baki asked, eyebrow raised.

"…Well, I'm working on that." The masked man said sheepishly, scratching his head. "I just wanted to let you know, and ask your approval."

The red-haired boy wasn't really listening. He was busy watching the interaction between Sakura and the janitor.

She was listening rather intently, nodding at the appropriate moments, and often opening her pink mouth to interject a comment or kind word at the dejected man. She seemed to genuinely care, and the janitor seemed grateful that someone was understanding and listening to him for real.

"Gaara?" Baki inquired. "Are you paying attention?"

"Yes." Gaara snapped back to attention, half-pretending he was listening to them, rather than watching the black-clad girl mutter fiercely to the janitor.

"Do you approve of Kakashi's proposal?" He prodded.

"Yeah. Makes sense, and that we have never encountered each other much before, but wouldn't that throw off like the Uchiha and the…?"

"Well, yes. The Uchiha have been hankering after us for some time, along with the Inuzukas as well. I just think that if we made an unexpected alliance, they would stop pestering for a little while. It's frustrating, having the Uchiha wanting us for this, and that…" Kakashi trailed off, hinting at his annoyance with the persistent Uchihas.

"It is to be all done in secret, so no one knows." Kakashi added, before Sakura rushed up and interrupted.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you." She began, apologizing. "Gaara, Kaname-san said the toilets need to be fixed, otherwise they might burst due to pipes. And you weren't listening to him, so, he'd like to hire a plumber to fix it." She stated, business-like.

"Tell him he can." The words fell out of his mouth before he could actually think. "Tell him to bill it to Subaku Corps."

A crooked smile appeared on Sakura's lips. "Is it really that simple?" She kept the business-like stiff tone up, and it seemed completely out of place on her.

"Yes." He said softly.

"Then Kaname-san will be pleased." With a squeaky turn of Sakura's Converse she strode back to the janitor, and gave him a smile and a thumbs-up. The man smiled back at her, gave a firm handshake, and left merrily.

Gaara watched as Sakura looked satisfied, hands on her hips and her head held proudly high, happy that she had done something special for someone. Her lips pursed, and she turned to Gaara.

She stared into his empty milky jade eyes, not demanding anything but answers to her silent questions.

He stared right back into the water-clear emerald eyes in front of him, taunting her to say something in front of the older men.

Kakashi gave a chuckle. The two teens looked towards him curiously.

"Nothing." He waved them off. "Just how Gaara here looks at you, Sakura." He ruffled her hair affectionately, careful not disturb the ornament in it.

"Oh? And how did you look at me, Gaara?" Her voice lost the adult tone to it, instead her cutting but dreamy teenage voice slid through.

He looked away. Damn her guardian. Kakashi knew that he had soft spot for the lilting odd black-wearing girl.

Her tone sharpened. "Answer me."

He was reminded of the first day they met, when she demanded him to say goodbye to specifically to her, not to the entirety of the world.

"I'm not going to answer you." He stood up. "Would you like to join me for lunch, Kakashi, Sakura?" He gently ignored the pained, saddened look on her heart-shaped face.

"I'm afraid I can't, Subaku. I have matters to tend to, as I am still the current head of Haruno Corps, and I have actual duties, unlike the child here." The masked man ruffled the 'child's' hair again, and whipping out a familiar orange book. "Sakura can go."

"Kakashi, put that book away!" Sakura frowned, the corners of her red lips tugging southward. She turned to Gaara. "I'll join you for lunch."

"Alright." The red-haired boy led the girl out.

"Kakashi." Baki's tone was sing-song. "Don't tell me…"

He gave an innocent look. "What? I have a ton of paperwork to do!"

Baki shook his head. "Lies…"

**..:****黑****:..**

He took her to a tiny restaurant sandwiched between a bridal gown store and a bakery.

It was a rather dark place, lit up by clean-burning beeswax tapers, and the menus were written on aged paper in calligraphy.

"This place is so pretty!" She exclaimed.

"Yes." He skimmed his menu, glancing up at the pink-haired girl.

She marveled at the brick-laid walls, the general dimness, and the deep burgundy tablecloths and the sad classical music.

She looked down at her own menu.

They placed orders to the patient waitress, who left quietly.

"What was that kiss for?" She said simply. A pink eyebrow arched along the question, impatiently waiting for more.

"How much do you like me?" He asked abruptly. He closed his eyes, cringing slightly to hear her answer.

She cocked her head at him, even though he couldn't see her.

"Enough." She answered. "Enough to like you."

"Good." He opened his eyes, and he gazed at her, his lighter green eyes looking directly into her surprised darker green eyes, startled at the intensity and insecurity reflected in them.

"Then, I ask you, Sakura, to marry me."

He watched in slight fearful apprehension as the opulent green eyes widen scarily for the second time.

**..:****黑****:..**

_Never been much for weddings _

_Or anniversaries _

_But I'll go to a funeral if I'm invited any day of the week _

_Some people say I sound strange some say I'm not right _

_But I find beauty in this world every single night_

**..:****黑****:..**

_I do hope this chapter makes up for lost time. _

_Love,_

_hypheniated_


	5. Crystalline

All Black

_Chapter five_

Her eyes were ever so wide.

He could see everything in absolute shock.

Finally, she spoke.

"Is this to throw off the Uchihas and the Inuzukas to help Kakashi?" She demanded. "If this is purely for business, I would rather marry that disgusting Uchiha!"

She looked furious. Anger was flowing from her in waves of intense displeasure.

"It isn't." Gaara whispered.

He couldn't say why. He didn't even know why. All he knew was that he had just found a way to save her.

He never realized any other reason. He ignored the feeling swirling distantly in his mind.

Sakura visibly calmed down. She stared straight into Gaara's jade eyes.

She saw only confusion, and idiocy.

"You said you liked me enough." he muttered.

Sakura tuned everything out of her state of mind to think.

She did like him, she honestly did!

He seemed to care about her, like Kakashi. He seemed to enjoy her odd presence, regardless of the emotion he showed.

Things that people normally wouldn't have bothered to do for her.

But he didn't return her answer.

Sakura didn't know if he liked her enough, as well.

"I clearly told you I liked you enough. But do you like me enough?" she retorted.

The practically identical words Gaara said to her were thrown back into his face.

Sudden, distant memories of Mother and Father swam into his mind.

His father always loved Mother, even in her gaunt deathbed. He had never ceased in loving her.

He felt a yearning for that pure, untainted time, the time that Mother was alive and his father wasn't an asshole and dead.

He was plainly unprepared to give her a response.

But she understood.

She waited.

He had trouble projecting his words.

He had never openly said anything that revealed any positive feelings before.

"I…I…I…" He stumbled.

He needed help this time, and she'd be damned if she didn't give it to him.

"Actually, you know what? Tell me when you feel comfortable saying it, whether it's good or bad."

She gave him the most understanding, sweetest smile he ever received from anyone in his lifetime.

"I accept your proposal, Subaku No Gaara."

He had the courage to return that smile with a sprinkling of a very faint blush and a sheepish smirk at having her help him, and that she had just accepted his very peculiar proposal.

She noticed, unfortunately, and had the impudence to give him a dulcet giggle, much to his embarrassment.

At that moment, their waitress had returned, and set down heavy white plates filled with deliciously wafting smells.

"Shall we?" Sakura grinned.

"Ladies first." With that, Gaara stabbed at one of the popcorn shrimp on Sakura's plate.

The heavy mood lifted, replacing itself with a very much lighter one.

"Hey! That was mine!" she exclaimed, pouting.

Split second later, the fork with the shrimp prodded her lips teasingly.

She looked up at him in astonishment.

"Who said I was going to eat it?" He gave a cocky smirk of his own.

She tried and failed to fight back a smile, but she engulfed the tidbit with her mouth, tugging playfully at the fork with her teeth.

He let go, leaving the pronged tool in her mouth.

She pulled out the fork, mock-frowning.

He only chuckled, and reached to take back his fork.

**..:****黑****:..**

About an hour and a half later, the pair left the restaurant in happy spirits.

They had spent the entire time teasing each other, eating, and thoroughly enjoying each other's other company.

As they walked quietly back to the impressively tall building of Subaku Corps, they stopped at a crosswalk, patiently waiting for the lights to change.

"Gaara." Sakura said softly.

He turned to look at her.

"Thanks for lunch." She proceeded to touch his cheek with a feather-light brushing of her red lips, standing on her tiptoes.

"You're…welcome." He said hesitantly.

They awkwardly crossed the road, and finally reached the doors.

The doorman smiled at them before opening the door to allow them in.

To Gaara's surprise, Kakashi and Baki were sitting in the foyer.

"Welcome back, you two. We have reached a decision for the alliance plan. Let's go up to your office, Gaara." Kakashi began.

Once they all reached the office, and the door was shut, Baki began to pace and talk.

"It's very simple. Since Sakura is the sole daughter and heir of Haruno Corps, she will marry Kankuro."

Two outbursts exploded.

"No." Gaara hissed.

"No!" Sakura shouted.

"And why not? It's perfect!" Kakashi exclaimed.

"Because I have already proposed to Sakura, it is not perfect." Gaara said coldly.

"And I have already accepted." Sakura said with an identical icy tone.

Kakashi and Baki looked a little stunned.

They had actually considered that idea, but the men had worried that Gaara wouldn't take it too well, which was why they had already decided on Kankuro.

"Uhhh…." Kakashi stammered.

"There is no way to break my proposal." The redhead said forcefully. "I will not allow it."

He chose, instinctively, at that very moment, to almost-shyly slip an arm around the girl's shoulder.

She automatically cuddled into his side.

Kakashi and Baki nearly keeled over in surprise.

Baki regained his senses first, however.

"This poses the nearly the same problem as I had with Temari being successor and Shino." He rubbed his neck.

"The other heads may not take it well, children. I can easily see Uchiha Fugaku objecting to having two powerful heads marrying." Kakashi scratched his head.

"We don't care." Sakura grinned. "Who cares about the Uchiha, anyway?"

"Well, this calls for another dinner party." Kakashi sighed.

"Hn." Gaara could care less about the dinner party.

But it was just as well. The other companies have the right to know.

"We must be taking our leave now." Kakashi said.

"Of course." Baki nodded. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Kakashi backed out, giving a tired wave. He was going to be sending out a lot of invitations tonight.

"Bye." Sakura scurried out, following Kakashi.

The remaining two males stood silently in the expansive office.

"Gaara."

The teen turned to look at the older man. "What?"

"What brought that on?" Baki pressed. "Why would you propose to Miss Haruno? You have never met her before until today. And that was a rash decision. I want an answer."

"I have met her before. She came to my father's funeral. The afterparty. The mall. The matchmaking party. And you're telling me I've never met her?" Gaara murmured lowly. "I cannot tell you what brought this on. I do not know for certain why I asked her. All I ask for you to do now is to leave all this alone until your part arises."

The redheaded teen looked up slowly, levelling his eyes with Baki's. "Can you do this for me?"

"Nobody will be pleased. I am just barely beyond disbelief. But since you asked me for my support, you shall have it." He bowed, and straightened.

"Thank you. Leave, Baki, and do not let anyone interrupt me until I allow so." Gaara made his way to his leather chair, and sat down.

The older man left, leaving Gaara to his own thoughts to sort this all out on his own.

**..:****黑****:..**

Gaara's mind was a tangle of half-thoughts, answers and questions.

It was clear that he simply could not allow that young, greedy Uchiha have Sakura.

But why did he feel that way, feeling the need to keep her away from that spoilt boy?

It was not out of friendship. They were not friends.

They had not known each other for very long, only less than a week.

They had no history together.

And he had reached out to her. He had never touched anyone if he could help it, or allowed anyone to touch him, save for his siblings.

This was completely foreign to him.

But he wasn't a least bit scared.

It was more like jumping from a plane, free falling, allowing whatever to happen to him happen.

It was also one of the very rare times he felt truly happy, the time he spent with her during lunch.

Nothing or no one had ever made him feel this happy. He was still on that high, that rush of being able to playfully tease someone and have them tease back in the same manner.

She understood him in a way that no one ever could. She knew that he wasn't able to tell her… Gaara killed that thought. He wasn't sure what the actual answer was yet.

The way she smiled at him… he felt like he was the only person in the entire universe to see that smile.

Oddly, it made his heart soar and pound a little bit faster.

He remembered the way she demanded something from him. The way she was persistent. The way that she answered questions with questions and confusing answers.

He liked all of those things.

And then it hit him with the force so sudden that Gaara almost fell over in his seat.

All of this reminded him of Temari and Shino.

Shino and Temari had fitted like puzzle pieces. They were unquestioned missing pieces to an almost-finished puzzle of themselves.

Their natures complemented each other. They were axiomatic in their world.

_Practically just the same way Gaara and Sakura's were._

At that deduction, he couldn't breathe.

He could hardly bring his stopped mind to conclude this realization.

There was just no way for this to be true.

Could it have been a mistake?

But his mind was yelling at him otherwise, challenging him to just try_, just try_ and defy himself.

Because it was all unfeigned. Undeniable. Unerring.

But Gaara couldn't bring himself to do it, to announce it officially. Not all alone.

It'd be easier if he could just…say it once.

He'd have to wait, though. Wait until he saw her again.

He didn't know her phone number, after all.

**..:****黑****:..**

_I remember feeling so alive_

_The night I looked into her eyes_

**..:****黑****:..**

_Just a little random humour at the end, after all that thinking Gaara had to do._

_This chapter doesn't even fit in with the song :P_

_I'd like to thank Von von for reminding me it's been three months, because that spurred me on to get this done :D_

…_Sigh. Better go do my math homework. _

_:E hypheniated_

_Beta-ed by oxsilvermoonxo._


	6. Vunerable

All Black

_Chapter six_

"WHAT?" Temari screamed.

She breathed heavily, staring at her youngest brother in shock.

"Are you out of your mind, Gaara?" asked Kankuro.

"No." Gaara stated plainly. He uncrossed his legs, and sat up straight.

Their sister took a deep breath.

"You are getting married to some girl, and we, as your sister and brother, have not met her." she accused.

"…Sorry, Temari." Gaara said shamelessly.

He was honestly truly sorry, though. Temari had her brothers meet Shino the very next day after she met him, and Kankuro always introduced his girlfriends to them as well.

Sky-blue eyes grew wide at his words. Temari's jaw dropped. "What did you just say to me?"

"I said sorry, Temari." Gaara answered irately. He did not like to repeat himself.

"Kankuro, are my ears deceiving me, or did Gaara just say he was sorry?" Temari turned to look at her middle brother in disbelief.

"I heard him too." He stared at Gaara.

"Stop, Kankuro, Temari. There is nothing wrong with me." Gaara sighed.

"We'd really like to meet this girl. What's her name?" Kankuro prodded.

"Haruno Sakura." The redhead said softly.

"Wh-"

"I do not want to answer any more of your questions, Kankuro."

"But-"

"Shut up, Kankuro."

"Gaara. Doesn't that mean you and Sakura present the same problem as me and Shino did?" Temari asked carefully.

"Yes. But I do not know what Kakashi and Baki have in mind for that." Gaara sighed.

A knock on their front door jarred them from their discussion.

Kankuro got up, and went downstairs to open the door.

Temari eyed her littlest brother carefully.

The brown-haired man came back up with Baki and an unfamiliar pink-haired girl trailing in tow.

Immediately, Gaara seemed to relax and tense at the same time, and slowly turned to look at the newcomers, Temari noticed with delight.

"Good afternoon, Temari. May I give you the pleasure of meeting Haruno Sakura?" Baki asked.

Temari stood up, offering Sakura a very pleased smile. "I'm enchanted to meet the girl who won over my baby brother. I'm Subaku No Temari."

"I'm charmed to meet you, Temari." Sakura gave a genuine, comfortable smile as she leaned in closer towards the older girl. "I'll just say I don't believe I've really won him over yet." she laughed.

The currently-ignored green-eyed boy fought back the urge to correct her.

She already won him over a thousand times and beyond.

"Come." The blonde gestured for the younger girl to sit as everyone gave Baki a wave good-bye, as he was returning to the offices to work.

"Might I call you Temari-chan?" she inquired shyly, edging a smidge closer to Gaara, adding to Temari's overpowering delight.

"As long as I may call you Sakura-chan." Temari grinned. She lazily reached out and grabbed her other brother, tugging him down to the armrest of the chair. "Have you met Kankuro?"

"Pleased to meet you, Kankuro." Sakura touched her hair, and leaned towards to anticipate the older boy's reaction.

Gaara, without thinking, instantaneously in retaliation of her move to face his brother, slipped an arm around her waist, and tugged her towards him none too gently.

Sakura seemed to appreciate the gesture, and wriggled up even more adjacent to him, pressing into his side.

"Nice to meet you too, Pinky." Kankuro smirked as Temari went 'aww'.

A dance of powder-pink scattered across the pallid pallor of pale skin as the red-haired boy turned away to try and save his embarrassed state.

Sakura frowned. "Don't call me Pinky!"

"Why?" Kankuro taunted.

"I don't like it!" She said childishly.

"Pinky."

"...Puppet."

"Hey, don't call me that." It was Kankuro's turn to frown.

"Puppet boy." Sakura insisted with a grin.

"Fine." Kankuro threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "You win, Pinky."

She only gave an answering laugh and kept the frown on her face.

"Hey, there, Delilah, don't frown. It'll ruin your pretty face later." Kankuro joked.

"First Pinky, now Delilah!" she gave a look of mock outrage. "What's next on the list, Apollo?"

"I like the sound of Apollo there, Daphne." Kankuro mocked playfully. "But Hermes sounds a little more interesting, Alice.

"Now Daphne and Alice! Gaara, make him stop!" she buried her face into his shoulder lightheartedly.

He responded by hooking her legs with his free arm, and carried her into the kitchen amidst the wolf-whistles.

He dumped her softly into a chair, and sat down himself. He gently caught her chin.

"I hope my siblings weren't too raucous for you." he stared anxiously into her shiny green eyes.

Sakura shook her head. "Your siblings are charming, Gaara. I like them, and would definitely like to get to know them better." She said sweetly with a stroke to his cheek with a single finger.

Temari and Kankuro stood in the doorway, silent over the delicately adorable exchange in from of them.

The blonde cleared her throat, causing both hands to drop.

"I like you quite a lot, Sakura-chan. I'm happy to welcome you into our family." She nudged Kankuro.

"You're fun." He winked. "Pleased to have you around, little sister."

"Thank you." She smiled happily at the affection in both voices.

She had hardly spent an hour with them, yet she had captured his family's attention and satisfaction.

The phone rang, and Temari rushed to get it.

As she talked dreamily into the phone, Kankuro sat down at the table as well, amusedly teasing Sakura.

The blue-eyed girl put the phone down. "Shino said that there is a dinner tonight. He's a lot confused among the details, which means it's a sudden thing. Care to explain, you two?"

"No. But I suggest that Kankuro escort Sakura back to her home?" Gaara said quietly.

Sakura stared at him for a minute. "Will you meet with me there sometime before the event?"

He looked at her, his eyes softening. "Of course."

She allowed Kankuro to raise her up from the chair, but it was her own movement that she grazed him with a soft kiss to his lips before leaving.

Once she and Kankuro were gone, Temari leapt on him.

"Gaara."

"Temari. Please don't say it."

"You're smitten."

He looked at her.

There was worry for him wavering in her voice.

For the infinitive time, he cherished the fact that she cared for him, worried for him, mothered him.

"Thank you, big sister." He let himself be folded into shaking arms.

"Oh, baby brother, I'm too happy for you, you know that?" she told him as tenderly as she could.

She let go, and shooed him off. "Boy, go get dressed in your proper dinner clothes. We are going to surprise everyone!"

**..:****黑****:..**

Joking subsided, Kankuro began to talk to his future sister in-law seriously as they were driven to Sakura's mansion.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Sakura inquired.

"Why my brother? Don't get me wrong, I'm overjoyed for him, but I'd like to know why him." Kankuro fidgeted.

"He didn't pity me. He was alone. I didn't pity him. I was alone." She said sadly. "To be loved, what more could you ask for?"

Kankuro got the gist of it.

They'd never need to say 'I love you'. They already knew that, and trusted the other so deeply to never betray them.

"All the power to you and him, then." He swallowed hard, and resumed name-calling.

**..:****黑****:..**

Temari headed in first, flashing her name to the bodyguard at the door at the restaurant. She wore a bubble dress of a Greek bronze with a sheer black wrap on her shoulders, and black heels.

Kankuro walked after her, slouching in an entirely perfunctory way. His classic white ruffled shirt, black pants and shoes were impeccable.

Gaara had donned a deeply maroon long-sleeved button-up shirt, and black pants. He nodded towards the guard, and spoke his and Kankuro's names.

The trio felt a haughty presence behind them, and they turned, seeing the Uchiha.

Mikoto Uchiha was looking as regal as ever in a midnight blue evening gown, and she passed them without any acknowledgement to meet with her friends, followed by her husband.

They didn't know them, so their attitude to them was appropriate.

Itachi slid through a door on his left, so he disappeared as well, leaving Sasuke alone with a sneer on his face.

"Well isn't it the almighty Gaara." He spat.

"Well isn't it the Uchiha mama's boy." Gaara shot back.

"I shall see you later, brother." Temari kissed his cheek in reassurance, and went to find her fiancé.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" Kankuro asked coolly.

"Nothing. All I want is for Gaara to know that Sakura's mine. Later, losers." He sauntered away with a swagger.

A curtain shadowing a floor-length window on the boys' right rippled, and the strawberry-haired female stepped out.

What the red-haired boy saw made him nearly choke in ecstasy.

Sakura wasn't wearing completely black this time.

She was clad in a pleasantly eye-hurting neon lime green dress that was tight around the torso, and flared out pleasingly at her slender hips. Only at the edges of the dress was lined in black lace.

Her hair was silky and straight with only the ends having their own shape, giving her a look of a fairy. Silk espadrilles of matching leaf green covered her feet.

"I'll leave you two alone. Blue-eyed beauties are waiting for me." Kankuro laughed, and vanished through the hallway.

"Hello." She said timidly. "I heard what Sasuke said." She shivered.

Without warning, he pounced on her, kissing her with such fervour, a frenzy that surprised the both of them.

She responded with as much fire as he gave, not at all frightened by his jump.

Once the moment of pyrexia wore off, he intimately clutched her tightly to him.

"Never." He breathed into her hair. "Will that asshole hurt you again."

She kissed his tattoo lightly with tingling bruised lips.

They regretfully let go of each other just as Naruto and Hinata came upon them.

"Hinata. Come with me? I promise, Naruto, I won't steal her for long." She took the ink-haired girl with her through a door.

"I guess since Sakura stole my girlfriend away, I get to talk to you, Gaara. Got any idea what's up with this dinner?" Naruto asked, completely innocent.

"…no idea, myself." Gaara hated to lie to Naruto, but the blond had a big mouth, and it would ruin the element of surprise.

Hinata and Sakura came back, the former eyes wide as saucers as she took in the thought of Sakura and Gaara.

Sakura made her promise not to tell Naruto, and she resolved to keep that promise.

"Sakura! You're not wearing all black for once!" Naruto sputtered in shock.

"Come on, Naruto-kun, let's go inside." The lavender-eyed girl said softly.

"Alright, Hinata-chan!" he said happily, leading her in.

Sakura shook her head in amusement, and slid in after them, intent on finding her name-card.

A short while later, Hana Inuzuka went up to the podium.

"Hey, everyone, sit down!" she exclaimed brashly.

Gaara was rather beleaguered that Sakura was all the way across the room from him. He was sitting at the back, while she was up at the front.

He could see she was distressed by it as well, but it was too late to do anything.

"Alright, thanks for doing that so quickly. I surrender the spotlight to the main attraction, Hatake Kakashi." Hana literally jumped off the stage and into her seat.

Kakashi traipsed agonizingly up to the microphone.

"Good evening, everyone. I would like to announce the main reason why we are gathered here before we indulge our appetites.

I wish to declare the joining of Haruno Corps to Subaku Corps by the marriage of the sole heir of Haruno Corps, Haruno Sakura and the current head of Subaku Corps, Subaku No Gaara.

That will be all."

He traipsed off in the same manner back to his seat.

For a full minute, there was a stunned silence.

And then the entire room burst into applause, and everyone around Gaara began to congratulate him, even though he barely knew most of them.

He caught a glimpse of Sasuke.

The boy was visibly in rage. He clenched the tablecloth with a death grip, his eyes blindly staring forward. He was shaking.

Then his eyes focussed on him.

Gaara only stared impassively back, and watch out of the corner of his eye a bright green figure rush towards Kakashi, kissed and hugged him, and then switch to his direction.

Sasuke dropped his gaze on Sakura running towards the red-haired boy.

Everyone turned to look at her.

She tripped unceremoniously, and the jade-eyed boy was at his feet to catch her.

He caught her waist, and she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest.

Then she pulled herself up, pecked him on the lips, and smiled at everyone.

Sasuke got up so fast that he knocked over his chair with a clatter, and angrily stomped out of the room.

Mikoto excused herself, and followed him.

But no one really noticed except Kakashi and Gaara, because everyone else was celebrating the engagement.

Dinner was a crazy, drunk affair. Everyone enjoyed themselves.

When it was time to leave, Naruto drew Gaara aside.

"Gaara. Are you sure about this? I won't let you just abandon Sakura after this like a piece of trash." He said seriously.

"I will not."

"Because if you do, I'll beat you up until you can't move for years." And Naruto meant it.

"I will not."

"And-"

"Shut up, Naruto. I understand. I will not abandon Sakura like a piece of trash. I…" Gaara trailed off, unable to say the next two words.

"I- what? Continue on. We're curious." A slurring voice melted into the vicinity.

"Sasuke, you're drunk!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You would too, if Hinata was stolen from you, like Sakura was stolen from me." Sasuke garbled.

"Sakura was not yours. She was never yours. You abused her, she hated you." Gaara hissed.

"But I love her. I always did." Sasuke slurred. "She liked being desecrated."

"You did not. You just liked to hurt her." A burning ire roused in the tattooed boy, but he fought it down because it was a waste to fight a person who was drunk.

"Sasuke! What are you saying? You bastard!" Naruto cuffed Sasuke, and pinned him to the wall.

"You hurt Sakura-chan? Who do you think you are, hurting a girl?" he growled.

"…" and the onyx-eyed boy passed out.

"Let's drag him into the bathroom." Gaara said mildly.

"Sure thing." Naruto kicked the heavy body once, and picked him up.

Tossing him none too lightly into a stall, the two sober boys left.

**..:****黑****:..**

_I wanna scream I love you from the top of my lungs  
but I'm afraid someone else will hear me_

**..:****黑****:..**

_Thoughts? Questions?_

_The lyrics aren't from All Black by Good Charlotte; rather, it's from The (Shipped) Gold Standard by Fall Out Boy._

_WAY TOO ADORABLE OF A LINE. HEART._

_Written to Enrique Iglesias, cause it set the mood, and I love his music._

_:E hypheniated_

_Beta-ed by oxsilvermoonxo._


	7. Euphoria

All Black

_Chapter seven_

The day after the celebration of the engagement, an uncomfortable Uchiha Fugaku and a grim Uchiha Mikoto made their way to Kakashi's penthouse office in the Haruno Corps building.

They were greeted by a secretary outside the excessively extravagantly carved teak doors.

"Good morning, Mr and Mrs. Uchiha. What a surprise. Kakashi is currently in, so you may go in."

They acknowledged her with a barely a nod before swooping in.

They found the grey-haired man reading some documents lazily.

He looked up. "What a pleasant surprise!" he stood up, carelessly tossing aside the papers and gesturing at the twin chairs in front of his glass desk. "Sit down, Fugaku, Mikoto."

Mikoto primly sat down, while her husband crumpled embarrassedly into his chair.

"I'd like to guess what brings you here, but I'll let you explain, Mikoto." Kakashi said wryly.

"My son is very angered and displeased about the news you announced yesterday. We assumed that Miss Haruno would be marrying our Sasuke." She stated coolly.

"Well, you know what they say, to assume is to make an ass out of 'u' and 'me'. Empty negotiations, Mikoto, and unwelcomed. I'm fairly sure you know of how your precious son has treated my surrogate daughter?" he growled.

Her face whitened considerably. "My son has grown up, thank you."

"Not according to Lady Tsunade, who treated Sakura last month. A concussion was the diagnosis? I can even show you the records, if you like."

Two red spots appeared on her pretty porcelain face. "Sasuke never told me that."

"But I do hope Sasuke doesn't resume his…treatment upon my daughter. She is going to get married, after all, and her fiancé is aggressive in pursuing, I presume, and wouldn't hesitate to press charges." Kakashi said silkily.

"But I was sure that Sakura was going to marry Sasuke!" she cried out.

"I made it clear it was for Sakura to choose whom she like to marry. And she chose the younger Subaku boy." Kakashi's voice had a steel edge to it, daring Mikoto to continue to fight.

It was Fugaku who spoke.

"I'm sorry that we inconvenienced you, Kakashi. Congratulations on your daughter's marriage to the Subakus. A good match, I think." he said hurriedly. "We won't waste any more of our time on a pointless outcome. Come, Mikoto, we shall take our leave now. We'll just arrange a marriage to the Uyemotos instead."

The female breathed deeply. "But I promised Sasuke-chan!" she said helplessly.

"You spoil that boy too much." Kakashi said lazily.

"Too true. I apologize upon my son's behalf." And with a gentle tug, Fugaku pulled his wife out of the room.

After they left, the grey-haired man stared at the phone.

Finally, he returned his gaze to his documents, and continued to read.

**..:****黑****:..**

Gaara sat down on a peeling-green bench at the edge of the park facing the early traffic.

He was waiting for Sakura to arrive.

He did not have to wait long, because he spotted her a mile away.

She was the only black-clad figure in the green background.

He watched impassively as she walked towards him.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully. She kept her hands behind her back. "Have you eaten already?"

He slowly shook his head.

She sat down next to him, and handed him a still-hot pretzel. She held another in her other hand.

"Have a bite, they're delicious." the strawberry-haired girl was posed to take a bite of her own soft twist.

Gaara leaned over and snatched a kiss from her lips instead, then snuck a big bite from her bread.

"Hey!" she laughed. She nipped at the one he held in his hand in retaliation.

"Good morning to you too." he said after he swallowed.

A sleek silver car pulled up right in front of them, and out stepped Sasuke.

"Alright, Sakura-love, you can stop toying with this moron. We can run away together and get married!" the black-haired boy crowed. "I love you so much!"

"No way." Sakura snapped, standing up and glaring at the intruder. "I told you, I do not want to marry you!" she trembled. "I don't love you, you despicable worm!

"But we'd be so perfect together!" Sasuke shrieked, holding his head.

"Go to hell, Uchiha." she hissed. "You're nothing but a coddled child that doesn't know when to stop. And, by the way, you're making a fool of yourself. Wouldn't mama dearest be _so_ disappointed that her _second son_ is _such _an _embarrassment_?"

She flicked him squarely in his chest with her middle finger.

He stumbled backwards, clearly in surprise, and fell through the open door of the car.

She nudged it closed with the same finger, and waved at the driver to move.

In the driver's extreme haste to leave, he hit another car. And as it was practically a traffic jam now, it created a domino effect of hitting all the other cars in the next three lanes.

Sakura started giggling uncontrollably.

Gaara shook his head. He grabbed her white hand and tugged her away from the scene of the accident.

They moved beside the duck pond, the pink-haired doll still laughing.

She quieted, staring at the fluffy brown and yellow baby ducklings swim.

He was unclenching and clenching his fist.

How could Sasuke so easily declare his supposed 'love' for Sakura when he couldn't even say the genuine thing to her?

It…just wasn't fair.

His expression grew stormily tortured, and he dropped her hand to fold his own together.

She turned to look at him, and realization crossed her features.

He couldn't admit it to himself or to her without help. He was too closed, too mangled to press the words from his lips despite the connection they had to each other.

She decided that if he couldn't do it, she'd do it for him.

"Would you be happier if I told you what you can't say, I can see in your eyes?" she asked him solemnly.

He hesitated. He slowly nodded, closing his jade eyes shut.

"I can see you love me." she murmured. "But you're unable to tell me." she hugged him tightly, clinging to him, her face in his shirt.

"We…we…" he broke off, squeezing his eyes tighter.

When the words dropped from her lips, everything,_ everything, everything_ had become unravelled.

He grabbed at her, clutching her even more to his body, shaking.

He buried his nose into her short locks, whispering.

"I…we have the same thing as Temari and Shino…I believe it's real…tell me it's real!" he said brokenly.

"It's as real as you want to make it sound." she whispered back soothingly. "Because I believe I love you as well."

They broke apart, gasping and smiling and almost crying.

Gaara swiped an arm across his eyes.

"Come with me."

**..:****黑****:..**

He brought her to a bridal dress shop.

She cringed, and scrunched herself closer to her fiancé.

He only grinned devilishly at her.

Right now, this very hour, _he was going to get her out of her black._

It would be insulting to say he was very excited.

"Nononono." she constricted his arm.

"If you are to be married to me, I would prefer a traditional white wedding." he kept his shit-eating grin on, and kept tugging her into the sea of white.

But he had to do it. He had to make her put the black in the past.

_He had to help her finish mourning her parents._

She didn't understand yet that she was still grieving.

But he had figured it out.

And he was determined to help her as she aided him.

"Good afternoon." a black-haired woman popped out from behind a rack. "Need any help?"

"No thank you." Gaara pulled Sakura to a bunch of dresses that suited her style of lace-up cap-sleeve dresses.

He flicked through them, trying to ignore the panicked look on her heart-shaped face.

"Nonono. Gaara, please, don't make me wear this! It's too…blank and white!" she implored tearfully.

He sighed, and turned to grab her chin firmly to stare into her emerald eyes.

"Humour me. I think you would look very beautiful in white." he pecked her on her lips, and resumed looking.

Finally, he came across a delicate poufy thing in a deliciously off-white that he liked very much.

"Try this on for me." he thrust the garment into her hands, and gently pushed her into a change room.

A rustle of silk, and the scratch of a zipper, and she timidly came out, her thin arms wrapped around herself uncertainly.

He tugged her arms away, and studied her.

She was the perfect picture of a blushing new bride.

The fabric was carved out her curves smoothly, yet it was very modest. The dress ended at her knees, like all the other dresses she owned.

"…your eyes are glittering." she said shyly.

"I am pleased with what I see." he dragged her over into the slight build of his body. "You are far more exquisite than I imagined."

"It…it feels nicer than black." she ventured. "More promising and a lot more welcoming."

"Good." he let go of her. "Go change."

She hesitated. "Can…can you find…find me something that's not…not black? I'd…I'd like to wear…to wear it out instead."

He had to smirk to hide his very elated satisfaction. "I'll see what I can do."

She slipped into the room again, and he sought out the black-haired woman.

"Have you and your fiancée found something you like?" she asked politely.

"Yes, and I was wondering if you have a skirt of a sort for her to wear. She accidentally ripped her other dress in the change room." he quickly invented.

"I have one right here." she handed him a thin cotton wrap-around skirt. "Shall I wait to calculate the total?"

"Thank you." He swiftly crossed the room to give the pink-haired girl the skirt.

"But Gaara, I have no shirt!" she exclaimed when he lobbed the airy skirt over the door.

He yanked off his own button-up shirt, coincidentally also white, and tossed that over as well. "Wear that."

He had a blue t-shirt underneath, so he wasn't half-naked.

The dress flew over, and nearly landed on his face.

He walked back to the counter where the lady watched their exchange with interest.

"Here." he dumped the wad of cloth on the slick surface. He dug out a credit card, and threw it on top.

The woman swiftly slid it through the machine, typed some keys, and gestured for him to input the pass-number.

He quickly did so as she bagged the dress, and nudged it towards him.

"Thanks." he waited for Sakura to come out.

She stepped out, smiling. "I actually didn't really need your shirt, but it smells really good."

She had the skirt pulled up over her breasts to make it a strapless garment, clinched with a stolen ribbon, and simply had the shirt on loose.

They walked out, the pink-haired girl still smiling, and Gaara smirking, very pleased with the turnout.

She kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth, and made a heart with her hands when they separated.

He grinned, and brushed her lips with his.

He had completed his aim for her.

He had gotten out of her black.

And he had his own heart captured, and gained her love in the process.

Not even Sasuke could ruin it now.

**..:****黑****:..**

For the second time today, a silver car pulled up in front of them.

This time, Uchiha Mikoto stepped out.

"Good afternoon, Miss Haruno, Mr Subaku." she said stiffly.

"Good afternoon, Mrs Uchiha. I don't believe this is an accidental meeting, is it?" Sakura's voice turned cold when she spoke.

"Why don't you have a seat in my car? I would like to have a chat with both of you."

They climbed inside warily.

"What do you want?" Gaara asked sharply.

"I will pay you as much money as you want. I need you two to break your engagement." Mikoto began. "Then I need you, dearest Sakura, to get engaged with my Sasuke."

Sakura grew rigid. "I will not do that."

"You must! Sasuke loves you! And he's been so unhappy since you announced your betrothal to…Gaara, is it?" the dark-haired woman pleaded. "I only want him to be happy! And he would be so happy with you!"

Gaara was about to open his mouth with an angry protest, but Sakura beat him to it.

"Mrs Uchiha, pardon me for being so blunt and rude, but do you want to know all the injuries I've suffered at your dickhead of a son's hands? He almost damaged my spine permanently a year ago. I've gotten countless broken ribs, fingers, and I've had my arms and legs broken six times apiece. I nearly had a skull fracture last month. I was lucky to escape with only a concussion. You really think I'll even survive a week of marriage to him? He's mentally unstable and a useless, abusive man." she took in a breath, her emerald eyes sparkling dangerously.

"You should stop babying him and send him to an asylum. You have a perfectly fine older son to carry on your line. And you think me and Gaara's relationship is so superficial to be able to be bought off? Haruno and Subaku Corps do not need the money. We're more successful than Uchiha Corps, if you didn't know. In fact, your stocks are drastically dropping by the minute."

At this, the woman started shaking her head. "No! Fugaku told me everything was doing fine!"

"Then he's lying to you. It is old news that Uchiha Corps is doing terribly right now." the pink-haired girl went on relentlessly.

"Get out of my car. I promise to make sure no Uchiha that I will ever know will ever bother you again. Get out." the dark-haired woman looked dangerously close to a breakdown.

Quickly, the pair got out, and immediately started walking away.

"You never told me you were hurt by him." Gaara stated murderously.

She gave a precarious laugh, and bestowed a butterfly kiss to his cheek. "The fact that I'm alright now with you only really matters."

**..:****黑****:..**

_My mother she use to tell me  
Son you better get to church  
And it's a dark dark world and there's evil out there and you know its only getting worse  
_

**..:****黑****:..**

_One more chapter, I think, and that would be the end._

_Please leave a review if you liked it.  
_

_:E hypheniated_


	8. Closure

_Since this IS the last chapter, please review :)_

All Black

_Chapter Eight_

The next day, as Gaara was sitting in his office, toying with a pen and thinking of his bride-to-be, when the subject of his thoughts, her guardian, and Baki came in.

He raised his nonexistent eyebrow as he stood up, and waved towards the seats in front of his desk.

The pink-haired girl was wearing an ivory-white dress, he noticed with a very self-satisfied smirk.

"Good morning." he said simply as everyone sat down.

"Listen up. We have reached an agreement about the companies when you two marry." Kakashi began lazily.

"What did you figure out?" Sakura asked eagerly.

"Be patient, missy." he reprimanded. "As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, we have a compromise. Subaku and Haruno will join. Their decisions will be in sync with each other. No business deal will be done without the consent of the other."

"But the companies will be separate. It'll remain the same all except for what Kakashi just said. Also, they won't be competitors either. So if one rises higher on the ladder than the other, it's an achievement for both." Baki continued.

"That sounds exceptionally well thought out." Gaara said.

"Do you remember that janitor that was in here when Kakashi and Sakura came for the first time? Well, he was in the boardroom, emptying the garbage cans, overheard our useless blank negotiations, and offered the idea." the Subaku representative smiled sheepishly. "We took it."

"His name is Kaname, and will you please give him a raise?" the green-eyed girl asked.

"Do whatever you like. You own my company now." Gaara pronounced.

She smiled. "Then I'd like to have the rest of the workers, big or small jobs, to come personally to me for anything, whether it's a problem, or an opinion or an idea. I want to have people feeling they are truly a part of our syndicate."

"I'll go and arrange a sort of notice." Baki stood up, and exited the office.

"Sakura, might you be a lovely child, and fetch me something to drink?" her grey-haired guardian inquired.

"Okay. I'll be back!" and she stepped out of the room.

Kakashi leaned forward.

"What did you do to Sakura? Not that it's a bad thing, but…she's wearing white. Not black anymore. I even helped her donate all her clothes and bleached her favourite dresses white."

He settled back against the chair, prepared for the younger man's answer.

"That is a secret that I do not wish to indulge unless Sakura wishes to." Gaara entwined his fingers with his elbows on his desk.

"Then I thank you. My daughter is much more happier." he stuck out his hand, and the red-haired boy shook it.

The pink-haired girl came back just in time to catch the two men shaking hands.

"Here, Kakashi. I got you a Coke." she said brightly, placing the can in front of him.

"And here's your coffee." she grinned at Gaara as she took a sip and put it in between his elbows. "Hope you don't mind that I took a sip?"

"Of course not." he took a swallow, and offered it to her.

She let him carefully pour the plain black coffee down her throat.

"So when's the wedding date?" Kakashi asked curiously, watching their exchange with an openly very wistful look.

They looked at each other, eyes wide.

"We...haven't exactly really thought of it yet?" she answered sheepishly.

"Take your time, I suppose, then. But really, it'd be nice if it was in the next six months or something." the man winked his lone eye.

"Why…why don't we have a double wedding with Temari? She is setting her date sometime, and we could let her take care of everything." Gaara inquired as he gently tugged his girl down to sit on his lap.

"Sounds like a good idea. Now, Sakura, are you going to stay or go? I have to go back to my office to do some work." Kakashi stood up.

"Would you mind if I stay?" she answered shyly. "I'd like to spend more time with Gaara."

"Great. See you later, missy." he vanished out the door.

They sat there long after he left, ensconced in each other, enjoying their timid attentions upon the other.

Nobody had interrupted them, as everyone had actually evacuated the building to celebrate the joining of their companies.

Finally, when night started to fall, they untangled themselves.

"Would you like to come home with me?" Gaara asked her.

"Sure. I'll tell Kakashi I'm staying over longer. But he's probably drunk, anyways." she smiled adorably at him, causing the redhead to reach out and grab her hand.

She clung to his side as they walked the way back.

They were greeted with a visibly happy Shino and a delighted Temari.

"Oh my lord, baby brother, little sister, you won't believe it. I'm pregnant!" she screamed when she saw the pair approaching.

"Congratulations." he carefully placed a kiss on the blonde's flushed cheek.

"Congratulations, Temari!" Sakura grinned at her, sharing their joy easily as she embraced her sister-in-law-to-be.

"Thank you, you two. But now that means that I have to really get married soon before I become a whale." she said amusedly as she retreated back beside her black-haired man.

"Oh! Might we be married in a double wedding with you?" the pink-haired girl asked hesitantly.

"Why not? Shino, do you have any objections to it?"

"It would become a better spectacle, and would draw more attention to the alliance of all three of our com-" he was cut off.

"He means yes." Temari laughed happily.

"We only came to ask you that, really, and congratulations again. Let us know when you set the date, big sister. We're going to dinner." the jade-eyed boy said. "Bye."

"Bye-bye!" Temari giggled, hugging Sakura again before letting them go.

..:黑:..

They arrived at a small, familiar restaurant they had both frequented before.

"Good evening, Miss Haruno, Mr Subaku. It is a pleasure to see you again. We give our best wishes to your engagement and upcoming marriage." the amicable host bowed.

"Thank you. Could we have a table by a window?" Gaara asked.

"Of course. Right this way." the man led them to their requested table, and left gracefully.

They opened up their menus, and the emerald-eyed girl sighed.

"Their menus are always the same." she said happily. "But it's nice that they still give them out even though they already know what we want to eat."

"Yes." but the red-haired boy wasn't concentrating upon her musing; he just noticed that the family of four Uchihas just walked in.

"What is it?" she immediately picked up that his focus wasn't on her anymore.

"The Uchihas are behind you."

Her unpainted mouth shaped a perfect 'O' of surprise.

"I suppose we pretend we don't notice them, then." her excited demeanour returned when a waiter came around.

"Good evening, Miss Haruno, Mr Subaku. Here are two plain black coffees." he spoke amusedly as he set down two oddly tall cups.

"Thank you." they said unanimously.

"And I believe you two want what you usually order when you're with your families?"

"Yes." they handed him the menus.

As Lady Luck would have it, the Uchihas sat in plain view of the couple.

Out of the corner of two different green eyes, they watched as the oldest son, Itachi, settle comfortably and undisturbed into his seat, busily tapping into his phone.

Fugaku, who looked very tired and relieved to be sitting, crumpled into the squishy chair.

Mikoto very obviously pretended to not see Sakura and Gaara, and stiffly sat down, her back ramrod straight.

Sasuke openly glared at the pair as he slumped into his seat.

"Coffee?" the candy-haired doll offered her Subaku boy.

He tilted his head back, and opened his mouth.

They both knew that Sasuke was watching jealously as Sakura delicately poured the black liquid down Gaara's throat.

The tattooed boy in turn did the same thing, admiring the way her white neck was exposed, with strands of florescent hair falling back, and her red mouth poised open to accept the drink.

He could hear knuckles cracking from clenching too hard, and fought the urge to smirk.

Two plates were set in front of them, jolting them from their little daze.

They started to tease and feed each other like the day he proposed, taking unguilted delight in the growing hostility they could feel emanating from the Uchiha table.

Thoroughly enjoying each other's company and losing almost all feeling to the outside world, Gaara ran a shaky finger (the after-effects of overdosing the caffeinated drink) down Sakura's downy apple-white arm.

"Are you happy?" he said hoarsely.

"Mm." she murmured with a smile. "I am completely happy, happier than I have ever been with you."

She leaned forward dreamily, and placed a miniscule kiss on the corner of his mouth.

They awoke with a thump from the left, and saw that the younger Uchiha boy with an angry red face had just thrown his fists onto his table in a childish manner.

"Sasuke!" Mikoto admonished.

She reached out to touch him, but he jerked away, choosing to shoot up from his chair and stalked away from his family, his fists clenched so tightly that bluish veins were popping. He went out the door.

"…It's more prudent to not flaunt a treasure in front of someone who covets it as to maintain a more productive relationship." Sakura observed quietly, but she held a slight smirk on her lips.

He didn't bother to answer her, instead flicking a hand for the check.

Once his card was returned, he stood up, extending a hand to her as to raise her from her position.

She accepted, and rose.

Tentatively, he tightened his hold on her hand.

She laid her pink head on his shoulder, leaning into him as they walked out.

"But I suppose you aren't very prudent." she added as a late afterthought. "Nor I believe you care."

"No, I do not. For only my siblings' happiness and our own happiness matter to me." he stated almost coldly.

"Which I am glad for." she said contentedly. "That is all that you should be caring about."

Yet Gaara still felt dismayed.

Something was missing, he knew it!

But he was sure everything had fallen into place…

They walked silently around town until it was three o'clock, and Sakura became sleepy.

"Can we go back to your house?" she yawned widely.

"If you like." they set off at a lazy pace.

They passed the cemetery, and Gaara froze.

"Stop." he commanded.

"What is it?" she inquired.

He realized what he was missing.

"Come. I have something to do here."

She solemnly understood, and clasped his hand gently as they threaded through the trees and faded gravestones to the barely-old spot where his father was buried.

He let go of her pale hand, and knelt before the stone.

Because he owed his dead father a thank you, at least.

"Thanks." Gaara said awkwardly, staring at the name engraved into the granite. "I met someone because of your funeral. Someone who was like Mother was to you. I hope you found Mother, wherever you went, and that she's happy. And that you're happy, Father."

He stood up, shaking, not taking his jade eyes off of the headstone.

Sakura grabbed his hand again, and they turned to step out of the desolate churchyard, never looking back.

**..:****黑****:..**

…_And…and…that's the end._

_I'm sad that this is over, no more vague and strange and airy GaaSaku. :( _

_Again, please review for the sake of this being the last chapter._

_:E hypheniated_

_A gigantic thank you to my very awesome tolerant lovely beta, oxsilvermoonxo, and to all that have reviewed. :D _


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